"It was Bayrou who kept him on the team sheet": this former deputy from Var will become ambassador to South Sudan

Joining the Quai d'Orsay? Philippe Michel-Kleisbauer dreamed of it! On July 15, his appointment as "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of South Sudan" was made official, via a decree published in the Official Journal , two days later. The former MoDem deputy from Var, who sat in the National Assembly from 2017 to 2022, will set down his diplomatic suitcases on September 2 in Juba, the capital of this Central African country which gained its independence following a referendum in 2011. For Philippe Michel-Kleisbauer, it is also the result of a long obstacle course. "He climbed the north face of the Quai d'Orsay," summarizes one of his close friends.
At the end of June, information about PMK's promotion, pushed by Prime Minister François Bayrou, whom he supported since the 2007 presidential election to the detriment of Nicolas Sarkozy, was leaked to Le Canard Enchaîné . "It was Bayrou who kept him on the team sheet," we were told. It was still necessary to obtain the approval of the South Sudanese authorities. So it was done. "Up until the last moment, everything could still change. There have already been refusals," said the entourage of the former parliamentarian. The latter, now bound by a duty of confidentiality, was in the running since February. He had informed him that he wanted to leave immediately, notably to the Africa Council of the President of the Republic.
Between disease and the threat of civil warBefore that, Philippe Michel-Kleisbauer, who notably built his international network as head of the French delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, had to prove his credentials to the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS). He then passed a major oral examination in the fall before the national aptitude committee for heads of diplomatic posts, featuring generals, former diplomats, and a representative from Matignon. His targets, to increase his chances? The embassies of Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, and South Sudan, among the most difficult and least sought-after.
Before his big departure on September 1st to take up his post the following day, François Léotard's former parliamentary assistant—and his wife—will have to undergo medical tests and vaccinations. The risk, during his three years there? Malaria, cholera, and the Ebola virus. Not to mention the tensions, as many fear a civil war following a spring outbreak linked to the country's underground resources: oil and rare earths.
With France out of the running in this area, the challenge will be primarily humanitarian for Philippe Michel-Kleisbauer, who is increasing his contacts with researchers and NGOs to best prepare for his mission. Over the course of the first few weeks, the man who will succeed Christian Bader has planned fieldwork with his team of nine people to understand why there are famine zones in South Sudan, even though the country has significant agricultural potential. "Invectives in the National Assembly weren't his thing," adds a close friend. "He's fully re-energized."
Var-Matin